The
bruises he sustained during a jungle sur vival course with the Army in Maduru
Oya were still raw.
Though it caused some discomfiture, it did not deter 26 year old Flying Officer Dhanesh Gunasekera from boarding the Captain's cockpit of Charlie Hotel 619 - a Russian made MI 24 Hind assault helicopter that lay parked on the apron at the SLAF airfield in Anuradhapura.
The pleasure of his guru, Squadron Leader Thilina Kaluaratchi asking him to command the flight that Monday, November 10, had soothed the dull pain from the scars.
He sat atop the forward fuselage which features two tandem blown canopies on separate cockpits. They are so designed to reduce the chance of both crewmen being disabled with one shot. Sqn. Ldr. Kaluaratchi was on the lower co-pilot's cockpit. From there, he held the trigger to a turret mounting a four barrel gun. Besides being an MI 24 instructor, Sqn. Ldr. Kaluaratchi is also officer commanding operations of the MI 24 Squadron. In the cabin behind were two gunners.
Charlie Hotel 619 took off from the Anuradhapura airfield escorting a Russian built MI 17 troop transport helicopter. Some 15 minutes later, the two choppers had arrived in Vavuniya. Joining the only MI 17 were two others. The three packed with 90 soldiers were airborne shortly after 11.15 a.m.
Although operational requirements necessitate MI 24 helicopters to escort the MI 17s from two flanks, there was only one assault helicopter that was airworthy that day. Charlie Hotel 619 was airborne and maintained a flight path on the left flank whilst the MI 17 flew on the right, one behind the other. The call sign for the formation was "Romeo."
Conscious of possible missile attacks, the MI 24 and the three MI 17s maintained an altitude of 150 feet. They had been airborne for some 20 minutes and were flying past land towards the Kokilai lagoon. Thereafter they were to veer towards high seas and head for Elephant Pass to make a descent to land the troops. The unexpected began to happen.
The anti missile system in one of the MI 17 was activated. It disgorged hot metal flares that distracted the missile and made it explode in mid air. That was automatic. But, what was installed in the MI 24 was a hand operated missile system that had to be activated by the pilot upon recognising a missile threat.
F/O Dhanesh had observed the missile fire coming from the land side of the Kokilai lagoon. He spoke to Sqn. Ldr. Kaluaratchi and turned Charlie Hotel 619 to make a dive to fire at the ground based attackers. It was too late. A heat seeking missile had homed in. One engine was on fire. But F/O Gunasekera found there was sufficient hydraulic pressure to control Charlie Hotel 619.
He made a controlled landing on water. From the upper level cockpit, F/O Dhanesh found his way out. One of the gunners had also made his exit from the escort helicopter by exiting from the cabin door before it hit water. F/O Dhanesh kept afloat and helped the gunner to inflate his life jacket.
Together the duo then helped the second gunner out of the aircraft. The latter had left his life jacket inside the assault helicopter. So he floated himself clinging on to his gunner colleague who wore the life jacket.
F/O Dhanesh shouted at the two gunners to immediately move out of the area. He feared the assault helicopter would explode in flames. As for himself, F/O Dhanesh did not want to leave without his guru, Sqn. Ldr. Kaluaratchi. In life, he had admired and adored him as a hero. The time had now come to do his duty by his boss.
It is the latter's decision to place F/O Dhanesh in command that had left Sqn. Ldr. Kaluaratchi in the lower cockpit. So F/O Dhanesh moved towards the waters to the left of Charlie Hotel 619. His bone dome (helmet) was filled with water. For a while he struggled to remove it and breathe some fresh air.
By this time, boats from a Naval sub unit deployed in Army Camps around the Kokilai lagoon had arrived. So did boats from the Army detachments there. They picked up the two gunners. The duo told their rescuers there was another survivor - F/O Danesh-who was busy on the other side of the aircraft.
Charlie Hotel 619 was sinking. It had tilted to the left as it submerged, thus pressing the latch door of the lower cockpit to the ground. The frightening event had sealed the fate of Sqn. Ldr. Kaluaratchi.
An Army boat picked up an exhausted F/O Dhanesh and brought him ashore. They radioed for SLAF help. A helicopter arrived within minutes and ferried him to the Anuradhapura base hospital. Doctors there battled to save his life. His lungs were full of water and he breathed his last.
F/O Dhanesh could have easily survived if he chose to move towards the shore after getting out of Charlie Hotel 619. But his loyalty to his guru and his dedication to duty made him make that supreme sacrifice. Sri Lanka not only lost two of her trained pilots, but two brave heroes in the ongoing separatist war.
If the human drama after a missile hit Charlie Hotel 619 proved F/O Dhanesh's mettle, 30 year old Sqn. Ldr. Kaluaratchi has won gallantry awards for his bravery and flying excellence. Senior military officials engaged in the ongoing six month long "Operation Jaya Sikurui" (or Sure Victory) speak of how he force landed an MI 24 on the door step of enemy territory after being hit by gunfire. There he remained until help came. He has been decorated with one Rana Sura and two Rana Wickrema medals.
The body of Sqn. Ldr. Kaluaratchi was retrieved later that Monday. Thereafter, Navy divers also retrieved the Flight Data Recorder of Charlie Romeo 861. The voice of F/O Dhanesh was loud and clear in the recorder. He is heard to shout ".....haravapang..... haravapang..." (turn... turn.. ) That was a radio call to pilots in "Romeo" formation to turn because of the missile attack.
How many missiles were fired ? An Army captain at the scene is reported to have claimed that he saw five smoke trails, suggesting that five heat seeking missiles were fired. However, other eye witness accounts spoke of only two missiles hitting Charlie Hotel 619. The missile attack caused damage to the rotor blades and tail boom of an MI 17 helicopter. It, however, made a safe landing in Elephant Pass.
It is immediately not clear what type of heat seeking missile was used to attack Charlie Romeo 619. In order to positively identify the missile, SLAF officials have retrieved shrapnel embedded in the MI 17. Group Captain Vajira Perera, head of the SLAF's Command. Research and Analysis Division flew with samples on Friday night to a European capital where extensive laboratory tests are to be conducted.
Soon after recovering the Flight Data Recorder, an under water explosion was carried out to destroy the remains of Charlie Hotel 619 that lay under some 20 feet of water in the Kokilai lagoon.
Preliminary investigations have revealed that the missile fire had been directed after Tiger guerrillas had infiltrated an area west of the Kokilai lagoon dominated by the security forces. Withdrawing guerrillas had encountered a route clearing patrol. In a gun battle that ensued, they killed two soldiers and made good their escape.
Charlie Hotel 619 was the second MI 24 assault helicopter the Sri Lanka Air Force has lost. The first was on March 19 when an MI 24 answering the call sign Romeo Foxtrot Two went missing in the high seas off Vettilaikerny. The eight member crew including two Ukranians were killed in the incident.
The acquisition of MI 24s by the Sri Lanka Air Force has been shrouded in deep controversy. A high powered Committee appointed by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga made strong observations in this regard. The findings of this Committee were reported exclusively in these columns on October 26.
The Committee was headed by Defence Secretary, Chandrananda de Silva and comprised General Denis Perera, a former Army Commander, Air Vice Marshal Pathman (Paddy) Mendis, a former Air Force Commander, Cyril Herath, a former Inspector General of Police and C.R. de Silva, additional Solicitor General in the Attorney General's Department.
Commenting on the acquisition of MI 24 attack helicopters, the Committee's report (paragraph 14 on page 4) noted: "This type is most suitable, but the three "purchased" aircraft which were delivered were unsuitable and not accepted resulting in the need to lease out similar aircraft."
The Sunday Times learnt that the first three MI 24 assault helicopters that were airlifted to Sri Lanka were not the ones originally selected and ordered by an SLAF team that went to Ukraine. The three that had arrived in a transport plane, it was discovered much to the chagrin of Air Force officials, were ones whose life expectancy had expired. They were confined to an SLAF warehouse at Katunayake for over five months.
Ironically these three helicopters had been obtained under "crisis purchases" - the magic word security forces top brass used to procure hardware without recourse to tender procedures. As reported in these columns, the PA Government relaxed these procedures after peace talks with the LTTE, soon after they were voted to power in 1994, failed. PA leaders wanted the security forces to intensify their military campaign to crush the LTTE and asked top brass to procure whatever they wanted to achieve this task.
The three MI 24 attack helicopters in question were obtained as "crisis purchase" by the SLAF through a Singapore based company which has put through billions of dollars worth of deals for Sri Lanka's security forces. The cost of these three helicopters was US dollars 12,884,300 (or over Rs 773 million ) The SLAF order number was M-3710 and the Letter of Credit Number was 95/53023.
Whilst the SLAF and the supplier were involved in a ding dong battle over the three life span expired MI 24 assault helicopters, three more MI 24s were leased under the "crisis purchase" programme. They were obtained from the same Singaporean supplier for a cost of US dollars 1,545,920 (or over Rs 92.7 million). The SLAF order number was M-3810 and payment was remitted through a state bank.
The three leased MI 24s obtained in early 1996 have already outlived their flying hours and require overhaul. These are now lying at the SLAF base exposed to the elements. Two of these MI 24s minus their rotor blades are shown in the picture on this page.
Whilst obtaining the three MI 24 assault helicopters on lease, the SLAF also sent another team to identify three more MI 24s. They were selected and an order was placed. When those three arrived, it was found that these were not the ones that had been selected.
As exclusively revealed in these columns, the Presidential Committee has been strongly critical of the manner in which aircraft have been purchased. It noted that "certain purchases of aircraft have been made without adhering to accepted tender procedures."
The Committee pointed out: "Whilst agreeing that for reasons of operational urgency, deviation from tender procedure may be necessary, the Committee is of the view that in such instances, adequate safeguards should be maintained to ensure that the most suitable item of equipment is purchased at the most economical price."
Throwing further light on how procurements have been made, the Presidential Committee observed "there is no such organisation in the Air Force for evaluating aircraft requirements and purchases. It appears that some sort of discussion is permitted under the control of the Commander, but the Chief of Staff has stated that at such discussions he is not always consulted..."
I make reference to the findings of the Presidential Committee once again to highlight, in the public interest, how military procurements have spawned a new generation of military mudalalis. Several attempts have been made to brush aside the findings of the Committe by not only challenging the existence of its report but also by side stepping the issue and accusing newspapers (and even bogus military experts) of trying to change commanders.
They have been called LTTE acolytes, UNPers and even traitors. One need not elaborate on these, for the most dim witted the reasons are abundantly apparent.
It is almost three months since the Presidential Committee report was completed. Yet nothing seems to have come out of it, at least so it would appear from the very statement of the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Oliver Ranasinghe who claims not to know of it.
Why all this hush in a matter which, from the nature of the findings and recommendations appears to deserve immediate action. Particularly so, in the face of an ongoing war which demands the streamlining of all systems and procedures to maximise operational efficiency. And that is what the Committee recommendations and observations seem to aim at within the parameters of its mandate.
The numerous commissions and committees convened by governments (not just the incumbent PA Government alone) have become a public joke as political stunts which start with much fanfare but end unsung in the dusty pigeon holes of Ministries.
For this is not a mere matter of administration but rather an issue which in its train of events is concerned with life and death. It is a matter which both the Government and the public owe to the men fighting the cause of the sovreignty of this nation. It is therefore no ordinary Presidential Committee but one that affects the very life blood of the nation.
The Sunday Times exclusively reported the Presidential Committee report and has subsequently highlighted various aspects in the past weeks. This has been done with no axe to grind or with any personal intentions even though a few concerned persons have made snide comments in this regard. Some are still attempting to charge The Sunday Times of distorting facts in a face saving bid.
The Sunday Times is only concerned with its responsibility to its readers, the nation and the public. It is in these interests that matters of public concern are raised. And there is no greater issue than what concerns the well being and life of the many youth of this country, sacrificing their life and limb for our better tomorrow.
This should take precedence over all other things including cronyism.
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